Solvent saver recovery apparatus



Dec. 29, 1953 c. F. DxNLEY 2,563,950

SOLVENT SAVER RECOVERY APPARATUS Filed Jan. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 29, 1953 c. F. DINLEY SOLVENT SAVER RECOVERY APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1949 FIG. Z-

WITNESSES Q/ MM5@ QQ @a Patented Dec. 29, 1953 Y y SOLVENT SAVERRECOVERY APPARATUS Clarence F. Dinley, Detroit, Mich., assignor toDetrex Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication January 15, 1949, Serial No. 71,177

4 Claims. l

This invention relates to apparatus for. the recovery of volatilesolvents from clothes or textile materials that have been treated .withsuch solvents, or from any article or material that absorbs, adsorbs, orretains such solvent.

My invention is particularly useful for recovering dry-cleaning solventssu-ch as `carbon tetrachloride, trichlorethylene or perchlorethylene,whose vapors are generally uninflammable, or any other volatile,grease-removing, solvents.

More specifically my present invention enables the freeing of clothes orfabrics of solvent odor remaining after the solvent in them has beenremovered as far as practicable. The apparatus is basically similar inconstruction and operation to that shown in a prior application filed byme on February 2l, 1947, under Serial No. 730,179, now Patent No.2,539,407 and the instant case may be considered or regarded as amodification thereof, as well as involving a novel process ofde-ordorizing the clothes or textile materials.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an apparatusof the type above referred to in which the air, whether vapork laden orclean, is defiected into-'more effective operational contact with thematerial in the rotary'drum.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an apparatus inwhich the operational flow of the air through the work laden drum isdeflected into a more intimate and permeativeY upon properly balancingthe solvent and water l levels therein.

Still further objects with ancillary advantages will become apparantfrom the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment ofmy present invention as shown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view showing more particularly theimproved positioning ofthe inlet and outlet conduits.

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowsII-II in Fig. 1, and showing details of the connections to the water andsolvent separator, and with a pressure relief valve operativelyconnected thereto.

Fig. 3 is a larger scale horizontal sectional view 2 taken as indicatedby the arrows III-III in Fig. 1 and showing the relief valve more indetail.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows IV-IV inFig. 3 and showing further details of the relief valve.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the arrowsV-V in Fig. 2 and showing more clearly the construction of the solventand water separator. Y

In order to facilitate description of the invention shown, the drawingsare briefly explained as comprising the following principal parts:

A base I5 supporting a frame I6; a casing I'I enclosing the Iframe I6; acylindrical treating chamber I8 mounted on the frame I6; a perforaterotary tumbling-drum I9 having longitudinal radial blades 20, within thetreating chamber I8; inlet and outlet conduits or ducts 22 and 23connected to the chamber I8; an air-conditioning conduit 2d containingheating and cooling elements-not indicated; a fan blower 25; a lint trap26; and a water and solvent separator 23 connected to the bottom of theair-treatment conduit 24. Since the base I5, the supporting frame I6,the casing II, the treating chamber I8 and the perforate rotarytumbling-drum I9 structurally and operationally correspond with theanalogousI parts described in the above identified patent, it is deemedunnecessary to burden the present application with further explanationthereof. The parts just referred to are significant primarily as abackground setting in explaining the present improvements which mainlycenter around the positioning of the inlet and outlet conduits or ducts22 and, 23 and the provision of means to supply an uninterrupted flow ofair thereto.

Hitherto in the art, the inlet and outlet conduits 22 and 23 have beenpositioned diametrically opposite one another, and either vertically orhorizontally directed. According to the present invention, the outletconduit 23 connects into the treating chamber I8 at a point which isconsiderably more than 180 from the point where the inlet conduit 22connects into said chamber, computing said angle of more than 180 awayfrom the inlet conduit 22 in the direction of rotation of the perforaterotary tumbling-drum $9. 'The operational effect of this relativepositioning of the inlet and outlet conduits 22 and 23 is indicatedbythe arrows 34, which designate the flow of the air current dischargedfrom the inlet conduit 22, incident to rotation of the drum i0 in thedirection designated by the arrow 35.l

The air current is clearly in operative contact;

with the work content of the drum I9 much longer than would be the casewith the known devices of the prior art. It will be obvious that theoutlet conduit 23 can be positioned further from the inlet duct 22, inthe direction of rotation of the drum I9, by minor structural changes.However, I have found by experimentation that highly advantageousresults are obtained if their angular relationship is approximately 276.

The effectiveness of this increased amount of op rational contactbetween the air current andthe work content of the tumbling drum I9 isfurther intensified by maintaining a positive and substantial pressurein the air circulating system so that the discharge from the inlety duct22 is eiectively dispersed into the contents of the drum IS. The initialimpact pressure which builds up in the air circulating system is greaterthan the equilibrium running pressure. sure-relief means 21 is providedin order to utilize a highpressure and at the same time to protect theoperation of the water and solvent separator 28; as will be explainedmore fully hereinafter. The outlet conduit 23, which includes'the blowerfan 25, discharges into the lint trap 2 winch isoperationally andstructurally similar to the lint trap shown in the above identifiedpatent. The lint trap 2t on its discharge side is connected to a gatevalve 36 of conventional type which may be controllably vented to theatmosphere, or

into the air-conditioning conduit 213 to which it is connectedat oneend. A similar gate valve 3'! is mounted on the other end oi theairtreatment conduit Manci likewise may be controllably vented to theatmosphere, or into the inlet conduit 22. The air conditioning vconduit24 is similarto the conditioning duct shown in the aforementioned patentand has mounted therein a cooling element in the area designated by thenumeral 38 and a heating member mounted therein in the area marked bythe numeral 39. Pipes 42 are connected to the cooling element andconduct the cooling medium in a well known manner. Similarly, pipes i3are connected to the heating member 39. It will be noted from thedrawings that the air-conditioning conduit 24 has'upwardly inclined endportions 4G; and that the water and solvent separator'28 is dependentlyconnected to said conduit atrthe lower medial portion thereof. The Waterand solvent separator 2S is of conventional design and Videntical with asimilar device shown in the above referred to prior patent; that is'tosay, said separator 28 comprisesa body portion 4i having a dependingwall or baiiie Q13, an upper or water discharge oriice t on one sidethereof, and a lower solvent discharge out-let it on the other sideofsaidbafe t4'. A pipe M from theunderside of the air-conditioningconduit 24 discharges into the lower portion of the separator 28 and aremovable drain plug 5S is provided in the bottom portion of saidseparator 28. As is well understood in the art, this separator23foperates on the principle that the heavier solvent will sink to thebottom of the separator 28 and pass under the lower edge of the baille Mto find its own level in the space between the body portion il and thebafe fill. It will likewise also be clear that excessive pressure in theseparator 28 will interfere with, and destroy, the operation of saidseparator 28. Therefore it is desirable, as pointed out above, toprotect the separator and at the same time accommodate high initialpressures which build up inthe system from time to' time.

The pressure-relief means is .preferably in the AY pres-aform of agravity-innuenced lift-valve 21, shown to best advantage in Fig. 4, andit is conveniently located on the air treatment conduit 24 at the end ofthe latter occupied by gate valve 31 to automatically take care of anyexcess pressure developing such as would adversely affect the operationof the separator 28. The valve 21, preferably consists of asubstantially annular seat 29 mounted concentrically with an orifice 3lin the top wall of the conduit 24, and a concave-convexgravity-influenced closure element Assuming that a' load of previouslycleaned and solvent treated clothes, but which still contain a quantityof residual solvent, has been.

loaded into the perforate tumbling druml I9' in accordance withconventional procedure, the

cylindrical treating chamber I8 is closed andsaid drum is set in rotarymotion, in the direction indicated by the arrow 35 in Fig. l. Now itwill be readily apparent that the longitudinal radial blades 29,incidental to rotation of the drum I9',A

will cause the clothes contained therein to follow` the direction ofsuch rotation at least to a level` about or above the air inlet duct 22,with subsequent tumbling 0i said clothes tothe bottomievel or" said drumIS.V The incoming air is then-v caused to fiow in the directionindicated by the" arrows Siiand 34' with a distinctive operativeadvantage, due to the clothes or work in the` rotary drum i9 'followingsuch rotary motion by aid of the left-hand or ascending'radialrbladesEiito, atleast, a height or level vertically abovethe'axis of rotationll of said drum as viewed in Fig. l,` and then tumbling over,v ordroppingr down, to the right-hand of said axis as indicatedby the arrows3', whereby saidflow is caused to deiiect inwardly and sinuouslydownward, as indicated by said arrows 34'. Furthermore. it will bereadily understood that the air, entering by way of conduit 22 into thetreating chamber i8, is drawn in and spread out within said chamber byaid of the mass of work moving away from the air inlet of said chamberI8 and, as

such air passes or is 'drawn over the axis ofv rotation @Bgjit'will bepositively deflected in.- wardly yand y'downwardly with a `larger orlonger contact with the work than has been heretofore,

attainable with similar apparatus.

It is also to be particularly noted that Whenever the treating chamberI8 is closed aiterfthe insertion of fresh clothes, there will beavolume. of cold or room temperature air sealed in the chamber I8.

air expands on being heatedwhich produces a momentary impact pressurecondition. Thisims pact pressure is applied atxthe inlet` openingr22; atseparator ZSand at the lift-valve 27;? The lift-valve -2'5 isscconstructed and arranged :and weighted asv to permit the impactpressure tol reach as high a valueias possible'withoutA producing apressure which wouldadversely` aii'ect:

the operation .ofv ther separator 28;:Y This ssac- Immediately thechamber IS i sclosed and the fan blower 25 turned Yon, this cool'`accanto complished by permitting high pressure air to escape throughthe valve 21 into the casing I1.

While my invention has been described in detail it is obvious thatchanges will suggest themselves, in adapting said invention to otherthan the disclosed usage, but it is to be understood that al1 suchchanges are contemplated as fall within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for recovering solvents from material treated therewith,a treating chamber with an air inlet port at one side thereof and an airoutlet port at the bottom; a perforate tumbling drum for the materialrotatively supported within the chamber; a conditioning conduitextending horizontally beneath the chamber with one end thereofconnected to the air inlet port of the chamber; an air blower with itspressure side connected to the opposite end f the conduit; a ductleading from the air outlet port of the chamber to the suction side ofthe blower; cooling means and heating means within the conduit; agravitational separator connected to the conduit between the heating andcooling means to receive the condensate recovered from the air by thecooling and separate entrained water therefrom; and an automaticallyoperative relief valve disposed in the conduit between the heated zoneof the latter and the air inlet side of the chamber, said valve beingweighted so as to open only when the pressure within the chamber exceedsa denite value such as would adversely effect the operation of theseparator.

2. Apparatus characterized as in claim 1, wherein the relief valvecomprises a. closure element which is adapted to engage downwardly intoan apertured seat in the top of the conduit and which has a pendentportion with a diametral 8 stop bar to limit by contact with the insideof the conduittop the extent of valve opening.

3. Solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 1, further includingnormally closed valves in the conduit capable of beingr opened manuallyfor entry and exhaust of outside air into and from the apparatus bymeans of the pump upon completion of the extraction cycle.

4. Solvent recovery apparatus according to claim 1, further includingnormally closed valves respectively at opposite ends of the conduitcapable of being opened manually for entry and exhaust of outside airinto and from the apparatus by means of the pump upon completion of theextracting cycle.

CLARENCE F. DINLEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent Y UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date 506,901 Bornholdt Oct. 17, 1893 1,564,783 Harris Dec.8, 1925 1,857,459 Kircher May 10, 1932 2,171,698 Hetzer Sept. 5, 19392,172,059 Chilton Sept. 5, 1939 2,310,680 Dinley Feb. 9, 1943 2,360,985Sherbcndy Oct. 24, 1944 2,386,293 Clements Oct. 9, 1945 2,418,239 SmithApr. 1, 1947 2,443,443 Chavannes June 15, 1948 2,451,692 Pugh Oct. 19,1948 2,477,820 Pokxas Aug. 2, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date531,346 Great Britain Jan. 2. 1941

